Daishimizu Tunnel

{{Short description|Railway tunnel in Japan}} {{See also|Shimizu Tunnel}} {{Infobox tunnel|name=Daishimizu Tunnel|image=Daishimizu Tunnel 大清水トンネル North Portal.jpg|alt=North portal of Daishimizu Tunnel|caption=North portal of Daishimizu Tunnel|other_name=|coordinates={{coord|36.8296|N|138.917|E|source:kolossus-dewiki|display=inline,title}}|status=Active|crosses=|start=|end=|opened={{start date|1982|df=y}}|owner=|operator=|character=|linelength={{convert|22.2|km|abbr=on}}|notrack=|gauge=|el=|speed=|line=Jōetsu Shinkansen}}

The {{nihongo|'''Daishimizu Tunnel'''|大清水トンネル}} is a railway tunnel on the Jōetsu Shinkansen on the border of Gunma Prefecture and Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The goal of Daishimizu Tunnel was to improve transport and logistics between the Tokyo area Kantō Plain on the Pacific coast, and the northeastern or coastal plain of the Niigata region along the Sea of Japan. Both lowland areas are separated by the mountains dominating the spinal cord or mid-section of the entire island.thumbnail|Standard tunnel profile of Joetsu shinkansen

In 1978, the Dai-Shimizu tunnel was completed. This tunnel was dug for the Jōetsu Shinkansen that was to be completed in 1982. This tunnel was the world's longest railway tunnel at {{convert|22.2|km|abbr=on}} until the Seikan Tunnel was built.<ref>[http://www.jsce.or.jp/contents/hakase/tunnel/02/index.html website on tunnels]</ref> During the construction, a fire created a large amount of smoke in the tunnel, and 16 workers died from carbon monoxide poisoning.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fujii7.info/toki-exp/history/history08.html|script-title=ja:ときエクスプレス - ときの歴史 - 上越新幹線着工|language=ja|trans-title=Toki Express - History - Construction of the Joetsu Shinkansen begins |url-status=dead|archive-date=July 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130707083529/http://www.fujii7.info/toki-exp/history/history08.html }}</ref><ref>[http://shippai.jst.go.jp/fkd/Detail?fn=2&id=CD0000096 Detail of the fire]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> When this tunnel was completed, the travel time between Niigata and Tokyo went down to approximately one hour and forty minutes, three hours faster than using the Jōetsu Line.<ref name="yubiso">{{Cite web |url=http://www.interq.or.jp/mars/omr/m03b_railway/m03b_yuzawa/yubiso.htm |title=Website on Shimizu tunnel |access-date=2008-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060207155951/http://www.interq.or.jp/mars/omr/m03b_railway/m03b_yuzawa/yubiso.htm |archive-date=2006-02-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Also, when this tunnel was built, natural water was found during construction, which is now sold in bottles.<ref>[http://water.naturalness.jp/archives/2005/08/post_17.html Website on water]</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

{{s-start}} {{s-ach|rec}} {{s-bef|before=Simplon Tunnel}} {{s-ttl|title=Longest tunnel|years=1982–1988}} {{s-aft|after=Seikan Tunnel}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Railway tunnels in Japan Category:Tunnels completed in 1982 Category:1982 establishments in Japan Category:Tunnels in Gunma Prefecture Category:Tunnels in Niigata Prefecture Category:Jōetsu Shinkansen